A- Section Staff:
Head of the SectionProf. Dr. Ahmed Ahmed Goma'a
Salem
Section members
|
Section Staff |
No. |
|
Chief Researcher (Professor Doctor) |
5 |
|
Senior Researcher |
0 |
|
Researcher |
0 |
|
Researcher Assistant (Lecture Assistant) |
0 |
|
Assistant Researcher |
3 |
|
Agriculturists and Technicians |
10 |
B- Activities:
- Surveying plant diseases caused by bacteria on economically
important crops.
- Conducting research and developing methods for the control
of bacterial diseases.
- Studying the application of biological control of economically
important plant diseases.
C- Achievement:
During the last decade, much applied and academic work
has occurred in this area. The following bacterial pathogens have been identified during this period: Corynebacterium
flaccumfaciens ssp. aurantiacum, Pseudomonas syringae spp. sesami ssp.
Tabaci spp. phaseolicola, Erwinia chysanthemi and E. cypripedii.
Economic impacts of disease surveys can be appreciated
by a consideration of the potato brown rot disease rot disease caused by the bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas solanacearuum.
Annual surveys indicate disease outbreaks are confined to certain pockets in the Nile Delta due to conditions favorable for
the development of the disease. Over one million tons of table potatoes were successfully exported in the last ten years as
a result of early detection techniques either in the field or in laboratories. Inspection for bacterial diseases, especially
brown rot, has increased locally potatoes to over 50,000 tons of certified disease free seed tubers helping to minimize the
imported potato seed.
A dramatic pear disease problem was observed in 1982. Exhibiting
classic fireblight symptoms, this new disease was found to be caused by a new species of bark weevil creating mechanical damage
to new growth shoots, followed by infection by a bacterium in the genus Pseudomonas. Pruning and burning
the dead branches and applying insecticides in March and October has controlled this syndrome. In the area of biocontrol,
the fungus, Trichoderma harzianum, has been applied to control white rot, the devastating disease of
onion caused by Sclerotium cepivorum. The total area treated in Sohag governorate was 10.000 feddans
with extremely successful results. Before planting, the biocontrol fungus was added to the soil and reduced the disease up
to 80% when compared to an untreated control. The biocontrol method was comparable to results achieved with chemical control
but without any hazardous impact.
Another example of the successful application of biocontrol
is the use of Agrobacterium radiobacter to control crown gall of fruit trees caused by Agrobacterium
tumefaciens. Control applied to apple, pear and peach has been achieved by dipping transplants or by seed inoculation
by a bacterial suspension of the biocontrol bacterium.
